Monopod ball-head...?
 

I'm looking for a strong & smooth ball-head for my monopod that would have a tight & fluid resistance, but yet flexible enough to quickly flip around and fold to the side for rapid hand-held action (i.e., with it still attached). My rig is quite heavy, so it can't be too flimsy. Any recommendations for such a ball-head unit appreciated.

-- peer

There are lots of options using Manfrotto ball heads and various monopods or related grip riggings. How much is your total weight of your camera?......that dictates what head, etc., that you would use.

Jim Martin
FilmTools.com

Not sure this will work for you because it's quite different than you describe and it does have plenty of downsides (it's no "real" head), but I own a Manfrotto monopod that has tiny feet that open up on the floor and there's a mini-ball head where the monopod's stick meets the feet near the floor, so you get a kind of psuedo-ball head action built-into the monopod. I should mention this isn't the one with the flimsy stick feet that look like a mini tripod, it's the one with the bomber feet that sit basically flat on the floor.

It actually works better (smoother) than you'd think for panning, but you don't get much up-down action with a head that's locked down (although pushing the monopod forward and backward does get you some up/down action). I also love this monopod's feet because you can step on one of the feet with your foot, and the monopod becomes incredibly stable at that point (rock solid). Anyway, just a thought.

I don't know if I understand -- if it doesn't have a ball-head, wouldn't it then create Dutch angle shots if you do a follow pan with your setup...?

-- peer

I just put the rig on a scale -- with my lightest lens, it clocked in at 8.4 lbs (3.8 kg).

-- peer

It has a ball and socket joint at the base of the monopod stick where it attaches to the feet. I just hesitate to call it a "ball head" because it's no where near what we all think of as a true ball head like you'd use on a tripod. That said, it is a ball head, a small one, and one that considering what it is, is amazingly smooth. So, yes, you can pan without going all dutch tilt and whatnot. I actually love the monopod for other reasons too, and of course it's no substitute for a tripod, the main thing is the feet, they rock. Like I mentioned before, the pod becomes so rock solid when you step on one of the feet that it's awesome. Makes the monopod a bit more bulky, but less than you might think. Anyway, not sure I'm permitted to post links, but just search your favorite shop for Manfrotto monpods, and look near the top of the most expensive ones (lol), and you'll see multiple flavors of what I'm talking about. But be careful, they have other monopods with flimsy mini tripod like legs/feet, that's NOT the ones I'm talking about -- the ones I'm talking about have smaller feet that lay flat on the floor when folded out.

Is this the one you have:
http://www.cameratown.com/assets/new...bogen_560b.jpg

-- peer

Yup, that's the series, but not sure if it's the exact one I own (mine's a couple of years old). As long as it has feet like that and the description talks about a bal head in the base, you've got the right series. I absolutely love mine. I do still have a plain-vanilla one when bulk is of most importance, but to be honest, the one with the feet isn't even that much more bulky really.

I have the 560B-1 monopod with the little feet too and can confirm that it's ace.
Hague do one with a video head on it at the moment with £100 off.

B. Hague & Co. Ltd Monopods

I like the idea for when you lock the monopod against something like a fence and use the video head for movement instead of the ball socket. But since I have this one already, it's not worth the hassle of changing.

Taking it to the States next month as a lightweight alternative to t a tripod.

I have that self-same Manfrotto HDV561B monopod with the video heade & it's great. I use it all the time. You use the ball foot when panning & head when tilting plus any combination. That is such a good price I am almost tempted to buy another although what I would do with two monopods I really can't imagine:-)

Not sure if what you describe here is what I'm looking for.
What I'm after is quite easy to show, but, for me, a bit difficult to describe in words: I'd like to use this monopod setup as a pan/jib to tilt/flip the camera -- continuously from a normal full-height stand, down to a crab-low close to the ground shot -- without getting any Dutch angle. Hence the need for a fluid & flexible ballhead to keep the camera leveled.

-- peer

For really smooth pans and tilts, you could use the Sachtler Soom Tube (sold separately at B&H for around $500) as a monopod. It has a bowl at the top, and would share a FSB fluid head with a tripod. The FSB tripod (or separate fluid head) would be pricey, but you would gain all the benefits of a true fluid head on a monopod, and have that same fluid head do its magic on a tripod separately. The Manfrotto sub-thousand dollar heads are not true fluid heads (unless the new 504 is.....). Search this forum for many, many opinions on true fluid heads (Sachtler, Vinton Vision, etc.) versus lower priced Montrotto heads.

Also, an FSB true fluid head would handle the weight.

Might not work for your continuous shot, though..........

This maybe what your looking for

Really Right Stuff ... The High Capacity Monopod Solution